Tennis Prose




Mar/21

2

They Won’t Give Up: Erika Sema

Continuing with the series focusing on veteran players who refuse to give up, today I will feature Japan’s Erika Sema.

Sema is 32 year old now and currently ranked 505 (211 in doubles). Her best ranking in singles was in 2011 (114). She has never gotten into a Grand Slam main draw, halted in all four majors in the second round of qualifying. Her best major qualifying attempts came in 2013 at AO, Wimbledon and US Open. Sema has attempted to qualify for a Grand Slam main draw sixteen times in total.

But Sema is still persevering as a professional tennis player. She has won ten career ITF singles titles and $400,112 in prize money with a 397-359 singles record. In doubles she has won 25 titles with a 329-246 record.

Though Sema has not won an ITF singles title since 2015, she just won two ITF doubles titles last month in Egypt with two different partners Shalimar Talbi and Lisa-Marie Rioux, both in third set super breakers 14-12 and 10-6.

Sema’s older sister Yurika retired from pro tennis in 2015.

With ITF career wins over the likes of Naomi Osaka (2014 in Osaka, Japan), Qiang Wang (four wins), Eugenie Bouchard (2010), Jess Pegula, Kiki Bertens, Julie Coin and Jamie Hampton, Sema continues her pro tennis journey which began in 2003 in Hiroshima, Japan. She is currently sponsored by Yonex, Les Pros, Asics, and Ellesse.

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5 comments

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 2, 2021 at 1:54 pm

    I nominate Erika Sema for the Victor Estrella Perseverance Award.

  • Jack Oliver · March 2, 2021 at 9:41 pm

    Love the insight and writing. My favorite “senior” player is Květoslava Peschke.

    A buddy here in Cleveland is good friends with the Godsick’s. Their son Nico and his daughter are the same age and both compete at a high level. So I HAD to make sure he knows about your writings and your Godsick/Federer article. 👍😉😎

    After 13 years of publishing a tennis newsletter for the Cleveland and Toledo markets, I know how hard you work at this. Best wishes. Jack

  • Chris · March 2, 2021 at 10:02 pm

    Talk to Tommy Robredo!

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 2, 2021 at 10:09 pm

    Thanks Jack. It’s a labor of love. I saw Nicolas Godsick play in the Orange Bowl late 2019 and I saw him win a couple of rounds, beat some good players. Kid definitely has talent and a nice composure and demeanor, good tennis athleticism. I saw he won the OB doubles this year. So he is progressing nicely. To have a coach in mom who was top five in the world is definitely an advantage.

  • Scoop Malinowski · March 2, 2021 at 10:10 pm

    Chris, Robredo is playing a Challenger this week, I think in Grand Canaria Spain.

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